News from the Columbia Climate School

Author: Renée Cho16

Renee Cho is a regular contributor to the Columbia Climate School. She has written over 200 articles for State of the Planet on a broad range of topics. She was previously published by www.insideclimatenews.com, and other environmental magazines. Renee was Communications Coordinator for Riverkeeper, the Hudson River environmental organization. She received the Executive Education Certificate in Conservation and Sustainability from the Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability. Follow me on Twitter: @ReneeCho_ Visit website »

How Sustainable is Vertical Farming? Students Try to Answer the Question

Vertical farming is touted as a solution to the drawbacks of traditional agriculture, but how sustainable is it really? A team of students attempts to design a certification system to assess the sustainability of vertical farms.
Six Tough Questions About Climate Change

People often ask certain tough questions about climate change— about the costs of cutting carbon emissions, the feasibility of transitioning to renewable energy, and whether it’s already too late to do anything about climate change. Laura Segafredo, manager of the Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project, answers these questions.
The Paris Climate Change Conference – What You Need to Know

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, meeting in Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, brings together world leaders to craft a new international agreement to keep the average global temperature rise below 2°C by 2100. Here’s what you need to know about it.
The Presidential Candidates on Climate Change

The presidential election of 2016 will determine the United States’ role in confronting the global challenge of climate change, and preparing our nation to manage its impacts for years to come. Where do the presidential candidates stand today on these issues?
How Much Energy Does NYC Waste?

While the New York metropolitan area has been deemed the most wasteful megacity in the world, New York City is considered one of the world’s greenest. But how much energy does New York City waste and what is it doing about it?
Leave No One Behind: The Sustainable Development Goals

At the end of September, all 193 member countries of the United Nations have agreed to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals towards eradicating poverty, protecting the planet and advancing prosperity by 2030. What do they hope to accomplish and why do they matter?
The Growing Groundwater Crisis

Groundwater is being depleted at alarming rates, not only in drought-stricken California, but around the world. When groundwater is depleted, it can take tens to hundreds of years to for it to reestablish its sustainable level, if at all. What can be done to avert a water crisis?
Where is Solar Power Headed?

To have a shot at curbing the worst impacts of climate change, we need to extricate our society from fossil fuels and ramp up our use of renewable energy. Where does solar energy stand today, and where does it need to go in order for us to make the transition to renewable energy?
The Pope’s Challenge on Climate Change

Pope Francis’s broad-ranging encyclical warns that we are destroying our common home and face an immense and urgent challenge to protect it. But it goes far beyond just the subject of climate change, calling for a holistic and sustainable future.

How Sustainable is Vertical Farming? Students Try to Answer the Question

Vertical farming is touted as a solution to the drawbacks of traditional agriculture, but how sustainable is it really? A team of students attempts to design a certification system to assess the sustainability of vertical farms.
Six Tough Questions About Climate Change

People often ask certain tough questions about climate change— about the costs of cutting carbon emissions, the feasibility of transitioning to renewable energy, and whether it’s already too late to do anything about climate change. Laura Segafredo, manager of the Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project, answers these questions.
The Paris Climate Change Conference – What You Need to Know

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, meeting in Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, brings together world leaders to craft a new international agreement to keep the average global temperature rise below 2°C by 2100. Here’s what you need to know about it.
The Presidential Candidates on Climate Change

The presidential election of 2016 will determine the United States’ role in confronting the global challenge of climate change, and preparing our nation to manage its impacts for years to come. Where do the presidential candidates stand today on these issues?
How Much Energy Does NYC Waste?

While the New York metropolitan area has been deemed the most wasteful megacity in the world, New York City is considered one of the world’s greenest. But how much energy does New York City waste and what is it doing about it?
Leave No One Behind: The Sustainable Development Goals

At the end of September, all 193 member countries of the United Nations have agreed to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals towards eradicating poverty, protecting the planet and advancing prosperity by 2030. What do they hope to accomplish and why do they matter?
The Growing Groundwater Crisis

Groundwater is being depleted at alarming rates, not only in drought-stricken California, but around the world. When groundwater is depleted, it can take tens to hundreds of years to for it to reestablish its sustainable level, if at all. What can be done to avert a water crisis?
Where is Solar Power Headed?

To have a shot at curbing the worst impacts of climate change, we need to extricate our society from fossil fuels and ramp up our use of renewable energy. Where does solar energy stand today, and where does it need to go in order for us to make the transition to renewable energy?
The Pope’s Challenge on Climate Change

Pope Francis’s broad-ranging encyclical warns that we are destroying our common home and face an immense and urgent challenge to protect it. But it goes far beyond just the subject of climate change, calling for a holistic and sustainable future.